Euros before?

How are those New Balance 927s? ;-)......DO NOT take US dollars to exchange for Euro there...the exchange rates are horrible. DON'T bring Travelers Checks - practically no merchant will accept them, and it's hard to find a bank that will bother with them. Do you have an ATM card? THAT'S what you want to use for your daily spending cash needs. Many people feel more comfortable going to their bank and buying €100 or so just to get started (try to order small bills) - some people have reported having trouble finding an ATM that would work upon landing at their airport (they DO occasionally go down for maintenance, run out of Euro, etc.), but most of the time it's absolutely no problem getting Euro at the European airport. NEVER exchange money at the airport - the rates are horrible! BE SURE and let your bank know that you'll be traveling in Europe; this goes for your ATM AND credit cards. If you're traveling with a spouse that has an ATM card also, be sure they bring it - every once in a while one of yours may not work in a particular machine, while the spouse's does...one of those mysteries of life...Personally, I like having some Euro upon landing; I bought some a few years ago, and make sure to save some from each trip in preparation for the next trip. Especially a bunch of the coins = bathroom money!!!

If you scan down under Gen Europe you will find this question asked a dozen times this week. Two groups of travelers - those who do and those that don't. It is your call. I, personally, prefer to have a hundred Euro or so in my pocket when I land. Just one less thing to worry about. I either have saved some from the previous trip or paid the price and got 'em from my bank. The other group prefers to hit the first ATM in the airport they find and fill their pockets. Both ways work. It is your call. As the previous poster said - never, ever use the money changers until saving money means nothing to you.

Oh, Eileen, you are a crafty sole :-)) Well, sorry about the redundancy of redundancy questions; guess that's why I'm dumb. I will probably take a few euros with me just because it will make me feel more comfortable, then stop at the nearest ATM in the airport to fill up. (BTW, Eileen, those NB are still in the break-in period...tell your husband.)

Pele, I like the way you 'lace' your posts with puns ;-) (yours was pfunnier) My husband is a little concerned that you're having to break them in...they shouldn't need TOO much...or try another size...

Oh,Eileen,that was all just so "tongue" in cheek ;)) LOL...Getting back to euros [INVALID] the subject of this thread [INVALID] no, I don't use Travelers Checks anymore - just plastic - so that will not be a problem. Don't you think that two cards between the two of us ought to be enough...debit & credit? (BTW, my "eyelets" are drooping, it's getting so late here)

pele, I always like to have about €100 on hand for "travelling expenses" until I get settled in my Hotel and can find the nearest ATM. I DON'T like relying on airport ATM's as I'm usually jet lagged, tired and miserable when I arrive, so just want to get my luggage and get out of there as quickly as possible. ¶ Regarding the ATM cards, I would HIGHLY recommend having a "backup" ATM card, in case there are problems with your primary card, along with at least one credit card (VISA or MasterCard - don't use AmEx as it's not as widely accepted). I've had a problem with my primary ATM card so I know why that's important. ¶ Also, your travel funds must usually be in a chequing account with a four-number PIN. Finally, don't forget to notify your financial institution(s) that you'll be travelling overseas. Cheers!

Just another caution note. Request from you bank that your daily withdrawal limit be raised. We (my husband, three adult children and myself) traveled to Ireland last year; we all notified our bank that we would be traveling, and we still experienced problems. When I finally got in touch with the bank they said they knew we were overseas, but we had exceeded our daily withdrawal so they denied all future transactions. They reversed the hold after I spoke with them, and all was good, but it was pretty scary. I agree with others that bringing 100 Euro or so is a good idea. Sally

I usually exchange for a few hundred Euros at my bank before I leave. I supplement with ATM withdrawals as I need to replenish (best exchange rate). Be sure to call your bank and credit card companies' SECURITY DEPARTMENTS to let them know you will be traveling overseas. If you contact general customer service or use their automated system, the message sometimes does not get to the right people. Also, have your ATM withdrawal limit raised to the maximum. As a precaution, I always carry a second ATM card linked to a secondary account just in case my primary ATM card is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised. If my ATM card is compromised, I can go online and transfer funds from one account to the other and start using the secondary card.

The wife and I, on our next visit to Italy, will be taking 2,000 Euro; bought entirely in the US, negotiated at the lowest exchange rate possible, and split between us: We land, and don't have to look for any ATMs that work or have low limits. We know that we spend that much anyway. There ARE advantages to taking a wad of cash to Italy. The money problem is done before we left. It is a joy in Italy to pay for everything in cash with the cash discounts available - It makes Italians happy. They are happy... you are happy... You have money in hand. And everything in Italy, aside from state owned stuff, is negotiable if you have cash. This is just our new way, since we now stay in ONE place for the entire two weeks. We have become disciplined on what to spend, and we hang out in one area with day trips for that 14 days with out the jumping around. This is not a recommendation for multiple points or speed travel and "I'll never get back there." Yes, you will get back there. If its your first visit to Italy from the US, and you are reasonably healthy, you will go back, many times, so set up your areas to visit now based on multiple trips. Otherwise, as every one else will say here, there are certain Cards that will give you the best rate of exchange there, plus the withdrawal fee.

If you've got at least a month before you go, you can set up a Capital One money market account that will charge you zero fees, including withdrawal fees. Plus you actually earn interest. Do NOT exchange dollars once you get there.

Good suggestions all! Thanks to everyone. Francis, I would feel uncomfortable carrying around 2,000 euros in my money belt. Don't think I would take that much - would rather use ATM's over there, even with a lousy exchange rate. But I will take 100-200. Good idea about the extra ATM card, but being computer illiterate - and not carrying a laptop with me - I would have major trouble transfering funds. Maybe just setting up another account here would work out best. I agree that we will be tired and cranky after the flight and ready to get to the hotel. Don't know that we will ever get back to Italy - this is our big trip of a lifetime!

(hands up in surrender) Pele, you're the 'sole' winner of the puns; you've 'walked' all over me LOL! I don't know that this is your last trip; I've heard that too many times from Addicted Travelers! It starts innocently enough - you read an article or see a TV show on Europe, you start browsing airfares, you're reminiscing about that little cafe down in Fill-in-the-Blank charming village...then here comes Trip Number Two LOL! (Can I get an Amen?!?) You might want to hold on to some of those Euro when you leave Europe ;-) Ken brought up a very important point - make sure you know your ATM PIN as NUMBERS and not LETTERS...you won't see letters on the keypads there. And just to comment on something else you said - "would rather use ATMs over there, even with a lousy exchange rate" - that's the point: your BEST EXCHANGE RATE is WITH ATMs!!! Even if your bank charges a lot in % and outright fees for using your ATM card, it would have to be outrageously bad to be worse than exchanging $ for €...

The beautiful thing about the internet is that hotels are very aware now that their reputation for honesty to patrons is their most valuable asset. We stay at places we trust and have researched. So when I say that we are taking lump sums of Euros, we are doing that simply to pre-pay the hotels and get the discount on the first day of arrival. I tell the hotel that this is what we want to do ahead of time. They are really happy about this type of arrangement and it seems like we get special treatment from the Owners and Staff. They know I'll be blogging on the travel sites. So the only time we are really carrying the full amount of euros is at the airports, in the plane, and to the hotel, all in a money belt. Customs isn't concerned if its under 10K. Then the hotel is pre-paid, so its in their hands, I get the pre-paid receipt signed by the owner, just in case a new clerk is there at check-out and the balance is the walking money. As you've said this does seem like a risk if you would need to carry around lots of cash to pay the next hotel in a multiple destination, "I'll only be there once, see it all" trip. But Amen! To Eileen! Cause you'll be planning your next trip on the way home, with a little "Vorrei essere italiano," in your souls.

Eileen,...LOL...I can't hold a candle to your phunny postings! I didn't get my thoughts right about the ATM's - of course I would get a better rate over there - I misspoke. And I will need to check the ATM's from time to time to see what my "new balance" is (..groan) on my account! Never use letters in my pins - always numbers, so not problem. Francis, I admire your ways, and paying upfront in cash at the hotel; I just can't fathom carrying around so many euros, even in a money belt. (Against my religion I suppose!) Plus we are going to multiple destinations. I hope my local bank will not cheat me too much if I ask to buy a couple hundred euros before I leave the USA :-( Gracias for the input from you both...I hope we have another Europe/Italy trip in us, but I doubt it...

I don't ever remember seeing an account balance on any of my receipt for an European ATM so I don't think there is any way to check your ATM balance other than through the internet.

Frank & Brad - I do get a balance noted on my receipts here in the states, but don't know what to expect in Italy from their ATM's. Guess I'll just keep track in my head, like Brad. Don't take the talk of "new balance" seriously; that was an "in joke" between Eileen and myself, refering to the shoes of the same name :-)

I was getting balances all over the Baltics on my ATM receipts this year. I can't recall if I was getting them in Italy......I normally keep track in my head, usually by knowing how much I can w/d per day without running my balance down to zero......Pele, I use ATMs when I arrive. I do carry some US Dollars to exchange in an emergency - but usually don't use them.